Machine for grinding laminated articles



MACHINE FOR GRINDINGLAMINATED ARTICLES Filed March 26, 1956 6 Sheets-Sheet I Il: I

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May 24, 1938- E. D. vANclL MACHINE FOR GRINDING LAMINATED ARTICLES Filed March 26,' 1936 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. K ffz l/wf/z ATTORNEY May 24, 1938 K E. D. vANclL MACHINE FOR GRINDING' LAMINATED ARTICLES 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 26, 1936 MNN . WAI.- /////////////V/////////////// f /fd/A m m \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\F Mp m f y Wm w \w I j@ Q Q May 24, 1938-v E. D. vANc:||.

MACHINE FOR GRINDING LAMINATED ARTICLES Filed March 26, 1936 6 Sheets-Sheet` 4 o o INVENTOR.

fGA/ //rca ATTORNEY.

May 24, 1938. E. D. vANclL 2,118,369

MACHINE FOR GRINDING LAMINATED ARTICLES Filed March 26, 1956 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Iz'a 76 INVENTOR v BY 696,449.0 lf/4/Yc/4 ATTORNEY E. D. VANCIL MACHINE FOR GRINDING LAMINATED ARTICLS May 24, 193s.

Filed March 26, 1936 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 l M2. MW m ,M f/. M n:

V Rw H Wm Patented May 24, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MACHINE FOR GRINDING LAMINATED ARTICLES Application March 26, 1936, Serial No. 70,982

12 Claims.

This invention relates to grinding machines, and more particularly to a special automatic machine for grinding rectilinear grooves.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a machine for performing a grooving operation which cannot be readily accomplished on conventional machines without a multiplicity of adjustments.

A further object of this invention is to prow vide an improved simplified mechanism for deilecting and holding a vehicular spring as under load conditions, and forming a configuration therein which could not be formed otherwise except by a multiplicity of operations.

35 An additional object of this invention is to provide a special automatic machine for grinding grooves in automobile springs for the attachment of side-sway eliminators.

Other objects and advantages of the present in- ,.)0 vention should be readily apparent by reference to the following specification, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof and it is to be understood that any modifications may be made in the eX- act structural details there shown and described,

within the scope of the appended claims, Without departing from or exceeding the spirit of the invention. v

Referring to the drawings in which like reference numerals indicate like or similar parts:

Figure 1 is an elevation of a machine tool embodying the principles of this invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the machine shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical section on the line 3 3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a cross section on the line 4 4 of Figure 3. l

Figure 5 is a section taken on the line 5 5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a section on the line 6 6 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a section on the line 'I-'I of Figure 3.

Figure 8 is a section on the line 8 8 of Figure '7.

Figure 9 is a section on the line 9 9 of Figure 7.

Figure 10 is a section on the line I0 I0 of Flgure 1.

Figure 11 is a section on the line II-II of Figure 6.

Figure 12 is a section on the line I2--I2 of Figure 5.

Figure 13 is an elevational view of the Work holding carriage.

Figure 14 is a diagram of the electrical control circuit.

Figure 15 is a diagram of the fluid pressure 25 control circuit.

Figure 16 is an expanded View of the one revolution cam track.

The machine comprises, in general, a large table, part of which is xed, and whereupon a 10 laminated article may be assembled and manipulated, and the other part of which is movable whereby relative adjustment between the article and a tooling element, such as a grinding mechanism, may be eiected. :15

Referring to Figures 1, 2, and 4, the reference numeral Ill indicates the bed of the machine and upon this is supported a movable table portion Ii and a Xed table portion I2, these portions lying in the same plane. .'26

A work supporting carriage I3, such as shown in Figure 13, is provided for manual movement from a work loading position, indicated generally by the reference numeral I4, in Figure 2, to a tooling position, indicated generally by the ref- 25 erence numeral I5 in the same figure. When the carriage is in the work loading position, a work piece I6, which may be a laminated vehicular spring, such as used on automobiles and the like, may be placed in the Xture and located |30 by a pin I6' passed through the eye in the end of the spring and resting in a semi-circular notch formed in the end of the work holder. A second pin It may beA passed through the eye in the other end of the spring and slidably rested on the upper edge of the sides of the work holder.

A power operated ram, such as I'I, is moved downward to hatten out the laminated article into the form in which it is shown in Figure 4. This ram is attached to a piston, not shown, which is 40 movable in a cylinder I8 which is supported in overhanging relation With respect to the xed table portion I2 and the work carriage is manually movable to a position under the ram whereby upon movement of a control valve I9, the ram 45 may be power moved downward a suitable amount to flatten out the article.

By reference to Figures 1 and 13, it will be seen that the work carrier has two pairs of upstanding side supports 20 and 2| and holes 50 22 and 23 are drilled through each pair. When the article has been suiliciently flattened, bolts, such as 24 shown in Figures 1 and 4, may be passed through these holes to hold the Work in position. The ram I'I may now be elevated and 55 the carrier moved as on the supporting rollers 25 from the work loading position to the tooling position shown in Figure 2.

The work carrier has a pair of countersunk holes 25 formed in the uprights and the carrier is positioned so that these countersunk holes are in line with dowel pins 2l having cone-shaped heads 28. The dowel pins are carried in one jaw 29 of a vise, the other jaw 39 being power operable to move the carrier against the jaw 29 and in so doing cause the cone-shaped heads 28 to enter the countersunk holes 25, and at the same time slightly raise the carrier from the table so that it will clear the same.

The jaws 39 are pivotally connected to the lower end of bell cranks 3l and 32 which are, in turn, connected to an equalizer cross bar 33 pivotally connected at 35 to the end of piston` rod 35. This piston rod carries a piston 35 which is movable in a cylinder 3l. This cylinder is connected as shown in Figure l5 by a channel 38 to port 39 of a control valve 40 having an intake pressure port 4|. The valve plunger 42, which may be manually rotated by ,a handle 4 3, shown in Figure lof the drawings, serves to connect the pressure port M to the port 35 whereby the workV carrier may be clamped to a vertically movable slide 55 which is, in turn, carried by a cross slide 55. It will, of course, be evident that since the piston and cylinder above mentioned must be carried by the vertical slide 44 that suitable flexible connections must be made between the cylinder and the control valve 59 which is located in the .bed of the machine with its operating handle in a Vconvenient place for access by the operator. l

Attention is invited to the fact that the dowel pins 2B also serve to properly locate the work with respect to a pair of grinding wheels 45 and 41 which are located opposite the slide ill and are suitably spaced on a spindle 4B to grind grooves in the work in the desired spaced relation. Each wheel is also of a width corresponding to the width of groove desired in the work. These grinding wheels may be rotated by suitable power means, not shown, and may also be provided with a suitable truing mechanism such as that indicated generally by the reference numeral 49 in Figure 1. Since such truing mechanisms are well known in the art, further description thereof is not believed to be necessary.

Power operable mechanism has been provided for reciprocating the slide M vertically to traverse the work tangentially relative to the faces of the grinding wheels and for automatically infeeding the work toward the face of the grinding wheels to determine the depth of the groove. This mechanism is driven by a prime mover 5i?. This motor is started by the automatic closing of switch 5l which is controlled by the electrical circuit shown in Figure 14. This circuit has a pair of switches 52 and 53, the former of which is held open by a cam 54 attached to the rear of a sub-support 55 when the same is in a retracted position, and the latter switch is held closed by a similar cam means attached to the rear of slide 55.

Since the switch 53 was closed by the previous return of slide 55, it completed a circuit from the main power source 56 through line 51, switch line 58, coil 59 and line 59 to the other line 5i of the power source. Energization of the coil 59 closed switch 62 and this automatically locked the switch, because even although switch 53 will be opened when the slide 55 starts forward, a

second switch 63, being closed, will short circuit switch 53 and maintain the coil 59 energized. By the switch 52 being closed, it is now possible when the slide 55 moves forward and automatically opens switch 53 and closes switch 52, to energize the starting coil 54, one end of which is connected by line 95 to the power line Gland the other end connected through the line 55, closed switch 52, line 51, closed switch 52 and line 58 to the other power line 55.

When the valve 52, Figure 15, is moved to its starting position, shown in this figure, the pressure admitted to line 38 also passes through line 69 to the lower end of cylinder '19. This causes upward movement of the container piston H and piston rod 12 which, as shown in Figure 3, has rack teeth 13 formed thereon in mesh with gear 14. The gear M is keyed to the end of shaft 15, as shown in Figure 5, which has an eccentric arm 16, Figure 11attached to the end thereof and interengaging a-link Tf, as more particularly shown in Figure 6. This link is connected by a pin 'i8 to the rear end of slide 55.

Referring now to Figure 3, it will be evident that upon admission of fluid to the lower end of cylinder 'lli the piston 7| will move upward ,and thereby through the rack and pinion connection rotate the eccentric 16 in a counterclockwise direction and thereby move the sub-support 55 and Ythe work carried thereby into grinding relation with the grinding wheels. Simultaneously, this movement will eiiect the opening of switch 53 and the closing of switch 52 to start actuation of the prime mover 59.

The prime mover is connected through the following mechanism to slide 29 to effect reciprocation thereof. As shown in Figure 7, the armature shaft of the prime mover has a sprocket wheel 'i9 which is connected by a chain 80 to a sprocket wheel 8i secured to the end of shaft 82. This shaft, as shown in Figure 3, has a pinion gear 83 keyed to the end thereof in mesh with gear 8f! keyed to the end of shaft 85. This shaft is anti-frictionally supported in the housing of slide 45, and on the forward end is provided with a crank arm 85 which is connected by link 8'1 to a pin B8 projecting from the rear of slide 29. It will be apparent that as the shaft 85 is continuously rotated, the slide 29 will be vertically reciprocated, thereby moving the work tangentially relative to the face of the grinding wheels.

It is also necessary, in addition to reciprocating the work, to gradually feed the work into the grinding wheels in order to effect the desired depth of groove. a spiral gear 89 secured thereto, as shown-in Figure 3, which intermeshes with a spiral gear 99 keyed to shaft Si. Through this means, the shaft 9| is rotated at a very slow rate relative to shaft 85 and the latter serves to drive an infeeding mechanism. In furtherance of this end, the shaft 9| has attached thereto the member 92 in which is formed a cam groove 93 for receiving a roller 94 attached to the end of a crank arm 95. This crank arm, as more particularly shown in Figure 8, is secured to a shaft 96 which has splines 91 formed in one end thereof for rotating a gear sector 98. This gear sector, as shown in Figure 5, intermeshes with a pinion 9T keyed to shaft 98', which shaft, as shown in Figure 6, has a screw thread 99 cut on one portion thereof. This screw thread is rotated relative to a nut |99 which is held against rotation by a Worm i0l intermeshing with gear teeth 02 cut on the periphery of the nut. A spring ID3 To this end, the shaft 85 has a may be interposed between a xed portion of the nut and a movable portion |04 thereof Yfor eliminating backlash.

order that the shaft 96 may move with the slide 45. The housing |05 also contains the gear 97 and a thrust bearing` |06 which holds the shaft 98 against axial movement, whereby upon rotation of the screw 99 the nut |00, which is held against axial movement in the slide 45, will cause the slide to move relative to the sub-support 55.

Manually operable means have also been provided for eiecting relative adjustment between the support 45 and the sub-support 55 for set-up purposes and the like, and this mea-ns, which is more particularly shown in Figure 10, comprises a hand wheel |01 operatively connected to a shaft |08, the latter being anti-frictionally journaled in the slide 45. A pinion |09 secured to the end of this shaft intermeshes with a gear xed with shaft to which is secured a worm |0| meshing with a worm |02. The worm and worm gear are those previously mentioned, which normally hold the nut |00 against rotation, but upon rotation of the hand wheel |01, when the screw 99 is stationary, it will be apparent that relative vrotation between the screw and nut can still be effected and the slide 45 adjusted relative to the sub-support 55.

Referring now to Figure 3, the shaft 85 serves as a common actuator for a first branch transmission which reciprocates the vertical slide 29 and for a second branch transmission, which continuously effects infeedin'g of the work during reciprocation. Due tothe reduction in rate effected by the spiral gears 89 and 90, the shaft 9| is rotated at a very slow speed, whereby the slide 29 may make a large number of reciprocations `.for one revolution of the shaft 9|. Means are provided whereby the shaft 9| is, in effect, a o-ne revolution shaft, whereby, after the shaft has made one revolution, certain controls will be operated to stop the grinding operation.

In View of this, the cam groove 93 in the member 92 has been so formed that during one revolution thereof it will effect the necessary infeeding, followed by a subsequent dwell for cleanup purposes, and then a rapid retraction of the parts. The shape of this cam groove is shown in 'expanded view in Figure 16 in which the ordinate |2'indicates the starting point, and from this point through an angle of substantially 252 degrees to the ordinate i3 a continuous infeed is effected, and during the next 36 degrees the cam path is straight so as to provide a dwell for lcleaning up purposes.

During the neXt 72 degrees the cam path is so formed as to eiect a rapid retraction of lthe work slide relative to the grinding wheel.

. The shaft 9| has a dog carrier ||4 to which is attached a dog H5. A pair of radially arranged plungers ||6 and are provided for actuation by the'dog and these plungers operate switches 63 and ||8 respectively. As viewed in Figure 9, the dog wheel l i4 rotates clockwise whereby the switch 63 is operated first and, as seen in Figure 14, when this switch is open, it de-energizes the coil 59 because the switch 53 is also open at this time and this causes automatic opening of switch 52. The current flowing through the coil 04 which holds switch 5| closed now travels through line 66, closed switch E2 and closed switch 5| t0 line 6'8. Therefore, upon continuedl movement of thedog l5 and opening of switch H8, the coil 54 will be de-energized and the switch 5| will be automatically opened to stop the motor 50. At

the same time, a brake H9, which is held open r by the solenoid coupled across the motor lines by branches |2| and |22, will become deenergized and a spring |23 will apply the brake to prevent overrun of the motor.

The machine is now automatically stopped and -1 the operator may throw the valve 42, shown in Figure 15, clockwise to connect the pressure port 4| to the line 24, which will cause downward movement of the piston 1| and thereby retraction of the sub-support 55 and parts carried thereby to move the work away from the grinding wheels. This pressure also flows to the upper end of cylinder 3?, causing downward movement of the piston rod 35 and release of the clamp jaws 30. It will be noted that the return from |25 because the check valve |26 will be automati- 20 this cylinder must pass through a throttle valvev cally closed at this time, thereby delaying thev the table I2 and turned around on the table and reinserted in the carrier clamping jaws for grinding grooves in the other side of the work.

There has thus been provided a simple mechanism whereby a vehicular spring may be power deilected and held as under actual conditions of use, and a configuration machined therein by a simple operation, while so held, and which could not be formed otherwise yexceptby a multiplicity of operations.'

I claim:

l. A grinding machine having rotatable grinding means, means for supporting and moving work in operative relation to the grinding means including a sub-support, a work support mounted thereon for relative movement along paths angularly related to one another, power operable means for reciprocating the work support along one path of its movement and uni-directionally along its second path oi' movement, power operable means for moving the sub-support to position the work support in a tangential p-lane relative to the grinding means, and means responsive to said positioning movement of the'subsupport to initiate actuation of both of said power operable means.

2. In a machine tool having a slide power movable relative to a tooling element to effect a machining operation, the combination with the slide of a removable work holder, cooperating means on the slide and work holder for locating one with respect to the other and thereby positioning the work in desired relation to the tooling element, and anti-frictional supporting rollers carried by the work holder whereby the same may be v readily moved from the slide to a work loading position.

3. A grinding machine having a grinding wheel, a rst slide movable in one plane, a work slide carriedthereby and movable in a second plane, means carried by one of said slides for 4adapted to be closed by the'movement of said :reciprocatingthe otherrelative thereto, means for feeding the iirst slide, a prime mover for driving both of said means, a separate power operiable device for moving the slides into grinding Vposition, and means automatically operable upon said last-named movement for starting the said primev mover.

4. -A grinding machine -having a grinding wheel, a first slide movable in one plane, a work slidegcarried thereby and movable in a Second plane, means carried by one of said slides for 'reciprocating the other relative'thereto,means for feeding the rst slide,a prime mover for driving both of said means, a separate power operable device for moving the slides into grinding position, and means automatically operable upon said last-named movement for starting the said prime mover, said automatically 'operable means lincluding a power operable switch, and a'pilot electrical control Acircuit including a switch slide to a grinding position.

5. In a grindingV machine, the combination of -a r'grinding wheel, of means for operatively-.associating a work piece therewith for grinding thereby, includingza rst slide having -a power operable clamp mounted thereon, a removable work holder adapted to be inserted in` said clamp, and there- :by secured to the slide, .a supporting slide for the first slide, a sub-support for moving all of said parts into a` grinding position with respect to the 'grinding wheel, and iiuid operable means for actuating said clamping means and said sub-support.

l6,'In argrinding machine, the combination` of va `grinding wheel, a slide reciprocable `relative to the-grinding wheel and having a clamping jaw, a Vremovable work holder adapted to be inserted in said jaw, fluid operable means for holdingthe work carrier in'said jaw, a sub-support for said slide, fluid operable'means for'moving the subsupport and thereby the slide into grinding po- Sition with respect to the grinding wheel and retracting the same, a common control valve for each of said fluid operable means and movable to a position to eiect simultaneously unclamping of said jaws and retraction of the sub-support, and means to delay operation of said unclamping means until the sub-support has been retracted.

7. In a grinding machine, the combination with a grinding wheel, of a slide movable toward and from the grindingwheel, a-work table and a vprime mover carried by the slide, means Operatively connecting the work table to the prime mover for reciprocation therebyand for infeeding the same relative to the slide, an electrical control circuit including a power operable switch for the prime mover, a pilot control circuit for said switch including a rst pair of pilot switches operable by the slide for closing said power operable switch, and a second pair of pilot switches successively operable by the prime mover for opening said power operable switch.

. prime mover.

'8, Ina grinding machine` havinga fgrlnding wheel, and a work supporting slide-movable in one direction to reciprocate the workV in ,operative engagement" with the lgrinding wheel, ,andin a 'second direction toinfeed thework relative to the grinding wheel; of a prime mover, means coupling the prime mover for reciprocation. ofthe slide, a one revolution cam coupled tothe prime `mover for infeeding the slide, saidV cam having-*a lrst cam portion for continuously infeeding the n slide, asecond portion for causing-a dwell in the :slide anda third portion for rapidly retracting the slide, and" means simultaneously vopera-bleat the endof one revolution'of the cam to stop. the

9. In a grinding machine, the combinationcofI a grinding wheel, of means for operatively :associatinga work piece therewith iorgrinding thereby, including .a slide,-a uid cperablepiston carried thereby for clamping work thereinfalsub-r. -supportfor'the slide includingv a fluid operable Apistonfor causing positioning of the rst slide. in -a grinding plane'with respect to the grinding wheel, and aA single control valve for controlling actuation of each` of said pistons.

lOwA 'grinding machine having a ,grindingwheel, a Work support, power operable means for -eiecting multiple reciprocations Aof the work support'relative to the 'grinding wheel, -airotat- Vable mechanism coupled for actuation-:bysaidh power operable means at aslow rate asrespects the period of reciprocations of the worksupport, means coupling said mechanism for feeding" the `slide towardthe grinding wheel, and. means responsive to one revolution of said mechanism for stopping said power operable means.

llpIn a -grinding machine for Ygrooving V`a Ylaminated bodyor the like, the combination-"with a grinding wheel support, of amechanisrn opposing the wheel for determining presentation :of y, work inoperative relation thereto, includingia support for introduction of .a work piece., a'lwork Adiscontinuing both the feeding and reciprocating;

movements.

12. A machine as specified in claim 11 in.which the discontinuing means comprises a single revolution control device operable by and Yinti-med relation with the power driven feed mechanism.

EDGAR D. VANCIL. 

